Furniture brace



Nov. 20, 19278. l,692,568

G. w. L. PRETTYMAN FURNITURE BRACE Filed Aug. 8, 1925 IN VE N TOR george 17.' feztmaw W W M g Afro/mr K Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED-STATES GEORGE W. L. PRETTYVMAI''OIIF BERGENFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

FUBNITURB BRACE.

'application med Augusta, 1925. serial No. 48,932.

The present invention relates to im rovements in adjustable'furniture brace evices of the'tensional sup orting type ascommonl used for the tig tening and bracing of c airs, beds and the like. An important object of .the-present improvements is to produce a structure that is highly efficientin its intended use andl offering substantial advantages With regard to facility of installation over the devices as heretofore employed for the purpose.

Important' features of the present invention consist in the employment of an improved form of turn buc `le tightening element in combination With-'flexible tension members comprising chainilinks of standard Wire type, thereby to allow of the parts to be assembled With a desirable and initial adjustment in the length' of the tensional'elements With respect to the specific installations, this being performed by employin a chain composed of a given number of lin s as the circumstances may require. The improved structure, accord'ngly, is readily adjustable i to varied spacings Without` the requirement of skillful Operations in securing the tensional elements as is common to the usual practice Where single Wire strands are employed. The improved turn buckle tightening device is further of a novel and simple form offering material advantages particularly Withregard to economy of manufacture andv further of a design allowing for the advantageous use of strand Wire where the same mayv be advantageously used as under the conditions of long reaches as in the tightening of bed frame structures.

The described and other valuable features and advantages of the present improvements Will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, Wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating my improved device as installed for the tightening and bracing of chairs. o

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing improved features of the turn bucklev or tightening device.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation thereof, illustrating the method of attaching the chain to the connecting plates or Washers.

Fig. 4`is a plan view of the punch blank from which the improved connecter elements or Washers are formed.

Fig. 5' is a vieW in plan illustrating a modified use of my improved coupler member as employed for the tightening of Vbed structures with Wire strands. o 'a Fig. 6 is a view of the coupler member in end elevation illustrating the method of at- I taching the Wire tension elements thereto.

Referring to the drawings; Wherein in Figure 1 an approved embodiment oflthe features of the present inventions illustrated as employed foiI tightening the legs of ajchair, 1-1v indicates horizontally and diagonally positioned connecting members or tensional elements Which may desirably be of a lstandard form of Wire chain composed of interlocked double Wire loops land connected at their'outer ends to the hooks of lag' screWs 3 having their shanks threaded into the upper portions of the chair legs tobe tightened. At their inner ends, the tensional elements 01' chains are connected to a coupler and tightening device or turn buckle adapted upon manipulation to Vexert an inward pull upon the tensional elements and simultaneously "adjust and secure the tensional elements to exert a tightening pull and tension to the degree as may be desired.

The turn buckle type'of tightening device as employed, includes a rod or shank 5, having its oppositeend portions reverselythreaded at 6-6 and having its central-portion squared or shouldered at 7 Vfor the application of a manipulating tool. Fitted-upon the opposite end portons of the coupler rod or shank 5 and in threaded engagement `there- With, there are provided nuts 6' Which may desirably be of a standard square orvhexagonal type as 'illustrated Connecting plates or Washer members 8, provided With central apertures 8' are fitted upon the coupler shank Vmember inWardly of the nuts 6 and engaged thereby. The connecting Washers 8 are of a w form adapted to be economically made from sheet metal and are formed With their outer-. most portionsturned outWardly or in angular relation to the central body portion thereof and at their end portions are formed With cutaWays or slots providing upper and lower key shoulder or hook projections 9-9 in oppositely spaced relation and adapted for connecting engagement With the opposite loops 10-10 of a chain link of the'tension element.

The construction, as described, thereby affords a simplified means for attaching the -chains to the turn buckle or tghtenino device which isaocomplished by the simpfe op- As a further desirablefeature thereof, and

i vna Will be best understood by reference to Fig. 3, the washer plates are suitably proortioned .and formed so that u on `assemli of the chain links thereon, t ie loops of the atter Will be so positioned in juiitaposition to the nuts 6V that by their engagement therewit-h they will operate ras nut looks and participate in securing the nuts against rotation. Also asshownythe spaced relation of the outwardly turned end portions of the washer plates may be such as to similarly function to prevent the rotation of the nuts and,` accordingly, determine that u on rotation of the cou ler rod 5 that the tightening nd'ustment sha l be made. i

, yimproved device, as disclosed, is of simple and inexpensive construction, allowing of the partsto be assembled in permaneutly connectedrelation whereb'y the handling and installation is materially simplified and may readil be altered or adjusted to accommodate or the varied spacings of specific applications. The improved structure is further designedto readily accommodate for the employment of strand or cable tension members in the desirable arrangementas illutrated in Fig. 5. As therein shown, the ltensionwires or cables 12 are suitably connected to the bed posts 13, are passed through the oppositely positioned slot 14 of the Washer members Sand have their. inner ends connected to Vthe opposite horizontal bed frame members or side bara' The Shoulders 9 of the washer, and associated slots relatedto their formation, are accordingly ai'ranged to acoommodate for the attaching ofthe Wire members thel'eto and in this latter .fu-rangement, by the overlying relation of lthe Wire with reference to the squared surfaces of the nuta 6, the wires will; be instrumental in holdirgthe nuts from rotation With alocking o ect. i i

I have thus produced an improved furnitune hracing device possessing important commercial advantages including simplified assembling oft-he parts resultng` from the employment of standard chain links for the tensional elements allowingfor more readily determining the length of the tension elements and which, moreover, offers greater facility in installation by reason of the unit assembly or connected relation of the parts.

`A further advantage of my improved brace structure results fromfthe independent and positive connection of each of the tension elements to the turn buckle connector members.` In consequence, the bracing' efl'ect is similar to that 1i1i i`ductdl tonsion elements in crossed diagonal arrangement, from which it follows that upon the loosening of the sinlgle tension element, the ```seemi'ing values of the arts `without diparting from the scope e of t e invention as fined in the ap ended chiims.` It is, therefore, i intended t at` ;all matter herein shallba interpreted asfillustrntive. and notin a limited Sense.

-Having described my-invention, I claiim;

1. vA` furniture 'braclng device comprising tension elements, an adju'stable coupler` member Vtherefor, comprismg a i coupler shank having its oppositeruendnportions reversel threaded and having anintermediate 'shou der portion for the enggement of a manipulating tool, nuts threaded to theV shankend portions, connector. members fitted to the shank inwardly of the nuts, said connector With their` outer portionslbending Outwrdly `in angular relation to'the bodyzthereof and having their opposite sides slotted to for-m key- Shoulders for engagement with the'tenionelements in position whereby the i latter arepositiondto o orate as looks for the nuts substantially as escribed.

, 2. Afurniture bracing device comprising tensi'on elements, an adjustable conpler member therefor, comprismg a oonpler shank having its opposite end rportionsreversely i threaded and havingan intermediate shoulder portion for the engagement of `a manipula'ting tool, nuts threade'd to the shenk end portions, connector members f fitted to 4the shanlr inwardlyxof the nuts, said connector members, being formedof'stamped metal with outwardly in their outer portions bend thereof and angular relation to the having their opposite sides` otted to form key Shoulders for securi Aengagement with 'the itension elemenitls an1 nlsastid tension eh; ments comprising c ein i `e in wit said shouldersand positioned l icg enggaged by the nuts to operate as looks therefor, substantiall as described. H i i i 3. A` urnitune bracing device oomprising tension elements, an adjustable con ler membei' therefor comprising a ooupler s nk hav- 100 members beingformedofstamped `metal ,i

ing its opposite end port-ions reversely threadtenson elements comprising chan links posied and having an intermediate shoulder portoned to be engaged by the nuts to operate as tion for the engagement of a'manpulatng locks therefor. d `10 tool, nuts threaded to the shank end ortons, Signed at New York city, in the county of connector members fitted upon the s ank n- New York and State of New York, this 29th wardly of the nuts and having securng enf` day of April, A. D. 1925. gagementwth the tension elements and said GEORGE W. L. PRETTYMAN. 

